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  I was breaking down. I sunk to the floor and wrapped my arms around my knees and rocked soothingly. My neck throbbed. I summoned the strength to reach my fingers under the collar of my gown, trembling when I felt the slow healing puncture wounds. Flashes of last nights’ brutal attack from Elijah replayed in my mind. How could I not have known? How am I still alive? I was feeling sorry for myself again. I pushed myself up and headed to my bedroom. I shrugged off the nightgown and slid into an old pair of jeans and a tank, and threw my hair up into a messy bun. I grabbed the gun from on top of my dresser and slid it into the waist of my jeans. I suddenly remembered Elijah emptying the bullets. Rifling through my drawers I come up empty handed.

  “Shit!” I cursed myself. He took all of them. I walked over to the window and ripped open the heavy curtains. The sun shot through the slits in the blinds. It was a beautiful sunny day. No vampires were out right now. I decided to make an impromptu trip to the gun supply shop out in York to stock up on ammo. Grabbing a cigarette from my pack, I lit it and slid them into my back pocket. I grabbed my purse and headed for my car.

  Take Me To Church played as the engine turned over and roared to life. I retreated inside my imagination as I absentmindedly made my way through the curves of the hollow. I pictured the night I walked down the road and first made eye contact with Elijah. My heart involuntarily fluttered at the mere thought of his gaze. Most attacks occurred at random. What Elijah had done was anything but that. He had spent time with me, made me care about him. Why?

  I shook myself from the daydream in time to see the car in front of me stopped in the middle of the road with its hazard lights flashing.

  I slammed the breaks and they locked up, sliding me to a stop inches from his rear bumper. My heart raced. I shifted into park and put on my four-ways.

  Making sure my gun was secure in the back of my pants, I got out to see what was wrong. I cautiously rounded the front of his battered car and spotted the white tail deer lying motionless off on the shoulder. “You okay?” I asked the driver. He nodded as he took off his baseball cap and scratched his head as he inspected the damage to his grill. An impact with a deer this size could easily total a car. I stepped in behind him getting a closer look.

  Snorting and shrieking sounded behind me and I jumped at the sound. “Shit,” I yelled as I clutched my chest, willing my heart to slow.

  “It’s still kickin’,” he yelled. I grabbed for my gun to put it out of its misery, but quickly remembered the lack of bullets. The man circled his car and reached in the drivers’ side to hit the trunk release button. He made his way to the back and dug around for a moment, reappearing with a rifle. My heart raced at the sight of him wielding the weapon and marching toward me. He took aim and caught the doe right above the eye, the pleas for his pain to be ended finally answered. I struggled to catch my breath. He walked over the deer and inspected the carcass that now lay motionless.

  “She ain’t gut busted,” he called to me over his shoulder, pleased as punch with himself. He slid his arms under the deer and hoisted it up. Walking back by me and dropping it in his trunk with a thud. He looked over his vehicle waiting for approval.

  “Huntin’ season came early,” I said trying to sound cheerful for him. He smiled approvingly.

  “Thank ya’ ma’am. I think she’ll drive,” he said patting the roof of his car and ducked into the drivers’ seat. I nodded and made my way back to my car.

  I flicked my cigarette butt that had burnt clear to the filter and grabbed for my pack from my pocket. I lit another cigarette and took a deep breath, laughing at myself for startling so easily. I clicked off my flashers and put the car in drive, slowly crawling up the hollow. Dangerous Mood blared through my speakers as I made my way toward York New Salem. As I sat at the only intersection in town, I let my mind think of Elijah again.

  I hated myself for missing him. I was seething mad, I wanted to kill him, but a warm feeling flowed through me as I pictured his face. I turned into the gas station and put the car in park.

  I took a deep breath and let myself think about what had happened last night. I saw us laughing, holding hands, and running through the rain as if there was nothing to fear. I felt the passion as he slid me against the tree and kissed me. Then I felt the sickening feeling that washed over me as he bit into my flesh. I had trusted him to protect me. That wasn’t like me. I stayed pretty guarded toward others, especially after my brother was killed. The one person I had let in turned out to be a monster.

  I bit my lip and fought back the tears as I remembered how helpless I had felt last night. I was sure I was going to die. And there was nothing I could do to protect myself but pretend to be dead. I pictured the suffering deer who could do nothing but gasp for air. Her life was snuffed out without a second thought. I was no different and yet I’d been spared. I cranked the radio and threw my car into reverse. If I were going to die, I would, at least, give those leeches one hell of a fight.

  I made my way toward Route Thirty as I dug through my purse and pulled out my wallet. I dumped the contents and gathered the bills to see how much cash I had to spend. I had fifty-seven dollars to my name. That would have to do. I turned off onto the bypass and sang along to Dead or Alive, screaming out my frustrations.

  The parking lot at the Shoot and Scoot was packed. Business for these kinds of stores boomed after the existence of vampires was realized.

  I parked at the far corner of the lot and made my way inside. The clientele was extremely diverse. Middle-aged hunters and young mothers stockpiled weapons and ammunition. I wandered through the aisles listening to random bits of conversations about vampire attacks. I closed my eyes to fight off the overwhelming emotions building inside of me. We all knew vampires were heartless, but Elijah had taken cruelty to a whole new level.

  I sifted through the boxes of ammo until I found the kind my brother had always bought. I grabbed two and made my way to the register. The clerk was arguing with a middle-aged man whose appearance could only be described as disheveled. He wanted to buy a virtual arsenal of weapons without waiting the typical grace period. Even with the dead walking among us, there still had to be rules. It was what kept all hell from breaking loose.

  My eyes wandered from customer to customer wondering who they had lost at the hands of the undead. An older woman caught my eye at the corner of the counter. Her eyes were puffy and swollen and her cheeks were bright pink. It was obvious she had spent the day crying. She pushed off of the counter and walked over to the man who was arguing with the cashier. She put her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it as she whispered to him quietly. The man turned to her, nodding his head and followed her to the side of the counter she stood at moments before. I realized they were waiting for special approval for arms. If someone in your immediate family or yourself was attacked by a vampire, you could receive a waiver for the grace period for personal protection.

  I stepped forward as the line shortened. A mother and her young son stood in front of me. I smiled and waved at him as he turned around to inspect the items in my arms. His mother shot me a worried look and pulled the boy tightly against her. My heart sank as I thought about the world this little boy would grow up in if he were even lucky enough to grow up at all. We stepped forward again in unison and the mother quickly paid for her items and hurried her son from the store.

  “Two boxes of the wood tip specials. This all for you Ma’am?” The cashier asked, his silver eyebrow raised, crinkling the thin skin around his eye. I nodded as I fished around in my purse. I handed him my Government Vampire Victim card and cash. He glanced from the I.D. to me and nodded in approval. I stuck it back in by purse and grabbed the bag and my change, anxious to get out of there myself. These stores were huge targets for vampires with a vengeance and their sympathizers.

  I made my way through the lingering people and pushed my way out of the double doors. Sliding my sunglasses on my face, I paused, my chin tilted up toward the warm sun before I headed towards my brother’s car. T
hick clouds were rolling in and the sunshine wouldn’t last long. As I unlocked the door, I heard the muffled ringtone of my cell phone go off. I threw my bag across to the passenger seat and started the car. Taking a deep breathe I rifled through my purse and pulled out my cell phone. The caller I.D. read Daddy.

  “Shit,” I muttered to myself. I wondered if he had caught wind of the burglary incident. I sighed and tossed the phone onto the seat. There was too much to think about right now, and I was in no mood to be lectured.

  Rain sprinkled on my windshield and I leaned forward to inspect the sky. If this keeps up, it will be getting dark early. I put the car in reverse and headed back toward my apartment. My mind wandered to yesterday's events. I suddenly remembered our run-in with the vampires outside of the bar. How had they known Elijah’s name? Better question- How had I not known what he was? I searched through the memories of the time we had spent together. The signs were definitely there, but I had let my guard down. I shook the thoughts from my head and flipped through the radio stations.

  I made my way to the Hollow as the rain started to fall in a steady pour. I flipped on the wipers and picked up the pace. It had rained a lot lately and the little bridge over the creek had a tendency to flood. If that happened, I would be forced to backtrack around to the other side of town. I sang along with the radio as I made my way to the borough. The water was lapping at the road, but I made it across safely before the road was covered completely. I stopped at the Valley Tavern and grabbed a couple of six packs before going home. I didn’t want to be left alone with my memories and anger.

  Chapter eight

  V Positive

  I was starving when I finally reached my door. I pushed through and kicked my shoes off and threw my bag and purse on the table. I shoved the beer in the fridge and searched for something to eat. I settled on leftover hog maw and popped it into the microwave. As I waited, I picked up the broken pieces from the bowl I had left in the sink earlier this morning and wiped down the countertops. The microwave dinged and I jumped causing me to slice into my palm with the shards.

  “Perfect,” I shouted through clenched teeth as I wrapped a dishtowel around my hand. I ran to the bathroom to clean up my wound. As I slowly unwrapped the towel, I winced at the sight of my blood soaked fingers. My mind flashed to Elijah’s hand the moment before he attacked me; the moment he betrayed me. I shuddered at the thought of how stupid I’d been. I should have known the second a guy like that showed me attention, he had to have an ulterior motive.

  The fresh water from the sink made it burn in pain as I dug through the cabinet to find the peroxide. I fidgeted with the cap and dumped the contents onto my cut, watching it bubble and wash away the blood.

  “Ouch,” I screamed as the pain shot up my arm through every nerve ending. I sank the floor and waited for the throbbing to subside. Could this day get any worse? I knew it could, and it would. I pushed myself back up and wrapped some gauze around my hand securing at the wrist. I was going to have to suck it up if I was going to get through all of what was ahead. I knew Elijah would return. It was a standard warning on the news that if a vampire attacks you and gets a taste of your blood, they will attack again until they finish the job. I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed my food, taking it in the living room. I flipped on the news and waited for the headlines of the day.

  “Local woman attacked at home ends in the death of a burglar. The assailant was proven to be V positive,” the newscaster reported as a picture of my apartment building flashed across the screen. V positive was the blood type assigned to the undead. It was the politically correct way of saying murderous monster. Turns out, even vampires could get their feelings hurt.

  “Oh, God,” I said to myself as my cell phone began ringing from the kitchen table. “He was a vampire?” I set my plate down on the coffee table and ran to the kitchen to retrieve my phone. “Hello?” I asked pushing back the tears from my eyes.

  “Eva, I just heard. Are you okay?” Grayson asked, his voice riddled with fear. I sighed at the sound of him.

  “I-I’m fine,” I lied trying to catch my breath.

  “How did he get inside? Did you invite him?”

  I searched my memory of the sudden attack. “He worked at a pizza place. He’s probably been invited in a million times.”

  “I’m coming over,” he said as my phone beeped with a call from the other line.

  “Okay,” I said and switched the call. I wasn’t going to argue with him. Not after the week I’d been having.

  “Was it you? Eva, I just saw on the news. Did this happen in your apartment?” my Dad asked frantically.

  “Yes. I didn’t want to worry you. I am fine.”

  “A vampire attacks you and you don’t think to call us?”

  “I-I didn’t know he was a vampire until I heard it on the news. It’s not like they wear name tags.”

  “I’m coming over.”

  “No, Dad, it’s okay. Grayson is coming and I’m not in any danger. The guy is dead.” I replied knowing full well that Elijah was still out there, but I couldn’t put my family at risk. “I will call if I need anything, I promise,” I said waiting for his response. He pushed out a loud sigh.

  “Fine, but I will be in contact with Grayson to make sure you are safe.” I hung up the phone and tossed it on the table and wiped my cheeks to rid them of any fallen tears. I decided to run through the shower quickly, wanting to scour my skin of any trace of Elijah’s touch. I was rinsing my hair when I heard the door.

  “Eva?” Grayson called from the hallway.

  “Be right out,” I yelled over the sound of the water. I turned it off and reached beside the tub for my towel as Grayson appeared in the doorway.

  “You okay?”

  “I’ve been better,” I said with a nervous grin. “We need to talk,” I added, realizing I needed to tell someone else about Elijah.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, tilting his head.

  “It’s nothing. I just…” I let my voice trail off not knowing what to say. He brushed the hair back from my neck. We stood in silence for a moment as he examined the two tiny puncture wounds at the nape.

  “He… bit you?” he asked quietly unable to hide the fear in his tone. A lump developed in my throat and I struggled to choke out a response. I didn’t know how he would react. His eyes searched mine for a moment then he pulled me in tightly against him, squeezing me. “I’m so sorry, Eva. I should have been there to protect you.”

  “It’s okay. I'm okay. You’re here now,” I said squeezing him, trying to reassure him it wasn’t his fault. I knew exactly where to lay the blame. I should have known better. I should have seen the warning signs.

  “I guess it is a good thing Elijah was here to protect you when I wasn’t.”

  I scrunched up my face. Grayson thought the intruder is the one who’d bit me. Swallowing hard I struggled to find the words to tell him otherwise.

  He pulled his face back slightly and wiped my tears with his fingers. He slowly leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. I gave in for a moment but suddenly realized that no matter what had happened between Elijah and me, it didn’t change things with Grayson. I pulled back reluctantly. He looked at me with sadness and nodded his head.

  “Right.” He couldn’t hide his agitation, still thinking I was pushing him away because of Elijah, when in reality, we had been over a long time ago. “I’ll… just wait out here for you.” He headed to the living room to let me finish getting ready. I wandered into my bedroom and grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top from my drawers and threw them onto the bed behind me. I heard a floorboard squeak and whipped around, startled. Elijah stood behind and all I could do was gasp.

  “Shh,” he said as he stepped closer. I was frozen in absolute terror. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “You mean again? You’re not going to hurt me again.” My mind searched for where I had left my gun and I glanced around the room. It was in the bathroom and the bullets still sat on
the table in the bag.

  “Looking for this?” he asked pulling my gun from the back of his jeans. I reached out, but he wagged his finger at me to stop, “Guns are dangerous,” he cautioned as he slipped it back into his jeans. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. I stood silently watching him, unsure of what move I could make. His eyes opened slowly and he licked his lips. “I’m so sorry, Eva. I never wanted any of this to happen,” He whispered, placing his hands on either side of my face. I shuttered and pulled back slightly as my knees threatened to give out from under me.

  “Hurry up, Eva! It’s already dark out,” Grayson called from the living room. I turned my gaze back to Elijah. He placed his finger on my lips to warn me not to give him away.

  “Just a minute,” I called back trying to hide the shakiness in my voice.

  “Thank you,” Elijah whispered and kissed me softly on the forehead. I froze, torn between wanting to scream and wishing the Elijah I’d known the last few days would wrap me in his arms and keep me safe. My head swirled as the emotions battled inside of me. I was paralyzed, like the prey of a shrew.

  “Have you missed me?” he asked and even though I knew he was a monster, it felt like he genuinely wanted to know. A blush crept over me as I thought of the dream I’d following his attack. Do I tell him no and risk him deciding he was done playing his game and could kill me now? Or do I tell him I’ve missed him and giving him more ammunition to humiliate me with and I die without my dignity, the only thing I had left?

  “Y-yes,” I stammered hoping the rapid beating of my heart didn’t give away my fear. I wasn’t lying per se. I did miss him, but the version I missed I wasn’t even sure was real. Was he still clinging to that thin thread of humanity that I could reason with, or was it all just a game of cat and mouse? Was he simply… playing with his food?